The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
An interview with Hilmar Hoffmann, the founder and long-term director of the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, on the festival’s 60th anniversary.
“Culture for all” is a philosophy closely associated with the name Hilmar Hoffmann. In his roles as city councillor responsible for culture in Frankfurt am Main in the 1970s to 1990s and as president of the Goethe-Institut (1993 to 2002), he promoted a broad definition of culture and open access to art. Back in 1954, Hoffmann established the International Short Film Festival in Oberhausen.
Mr Hoffmann, would you ever have imagined that the Short Film Festival will continue for 60 years?
Right from the start, the festival was regarded as the world’s most important short film festival: Roman Polanski presented his first works in Oberhausen, and István Szabó, another director who went on to win an Oscar, won a number of awards at the Short Film Festival. I always assumed that the festival would continue for ever – though that of course also depends on what the future holds for the genre of short film.
What fascination does the genre have for you?
It was long the case that short films served as the “business cards” of future filmmakers – young directors would first attempt to make a short film. If they received awards for their works at festivals, they could perhaps later make a feature-length film, though as a rule they lacked the funds to do this. Back then there were also no film universities in Germany.
The festival always had a political significance too.
Naturally, those taking part took advantage of the Short Film Festival to draw attention to whatever cause they were promoting. This culminated in 1962 with the “Oberhausen Manifesto” issued by 26 filmmakers. One of the things achieved by their protest was that a film funding law was introduced in Germany, though the focus of the Short Film Festival was never on Germany alone.
Thanks to funding from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, filmmakers from all over the world can travel to Oberhausen, including those from Asia and Africa.
The festival has always sought to present films from every region of the world. In many cases, these were the only available documentation of life in these countries – and especially of people living on the fringes of society.
Will you be attending the 60th Short Film Festival in person?
Yes. Over the years, I have attended the Oberhausen festival time and time again, and even when I am not physically present I watch with interest and admiration how those responsible for the festival react to the new conditions in the world of film.
60th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen from 1 to 6 May 2014
